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Hollywood Has Flipped on GenAI, Says ‘Avatar’ VFX House Weta FX Chief: ‘If You Don’t Have an AI Strategy, Don’t Bother’
Hollywood studios have shifted from banning generative AI in visual effects work to asking vendors for an AI strategy, and in some cases declining to work with those that lack one. Weta FX chief executive Daniel Seah said the change has made AI readiness a factor in winning studio and streaming-platform contracts, while raising the importance of how the technology is used.
Seah said studios initially prohibited GenAI, then began allowing some use with prior approval and a limited set of providers; since the third quarter of this year, clients have increasingly asked how much it could save. Weta is partnering with Taiwan’s Moonshine Studio to develop tools aimed at supporting artists and refining long-form stories, and says it does not intend to replace staff. The article also describes a Taiwan talent initiative that may lead to internships at Weta offices in Wellington, Melbourne and Vancouver.
In short
- Studios now expect VFX vendors to have an AI strategy.
- Weta says AI is intended to support artists, not replace them.
- Weta and Taiwan’s Moonshine Studio are developing tools together.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Studios face pressure to control costs and deliver increasingly ambitious visual effects, so asking vendors for a considered AI strategy could encourage useful innovation and keep firms competitive. Used with human oversight and clear limits, generative tools may assist artists and support storytelling without replacing staff.
The case against
Making AI readiness a condition of winning work risks turning cost-saving technology into an industry-wide expectation before its effects on jobs, creative control and quality are understood. Studios could instead let vendors and artists adopt tools cautiously, with meaningful consent and safeguards, rather than penalising those who have not built an AI strategy.
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